Page 32 of Wolf Alliance

“I was fine on the nanny’s bed in the boys’ chamber. And the guest chamber was adequate. You need no’ worry about me.”

He sighed. “Will you run with me as a wolf this eve?”

“With the boys?” she asked.

“Just the two of us. We’ll have an escort, but the boys will be asleep.”

“Aye, all right. I’ll put them to bed and then join you downstairs.”

He smiled. “Aye.” He ran as a wolf on patrol with other wolves, but running with his potential mate? It was important to be there for each other as wolves and to see how well they worked together. “Dinna tell the boys, or they’ll want to go.”

She smiled. “I will tell them we are, but we’ll do it with them another time.”

He feared she would want to run with the boys and not leave them out. He felt for once, he was making a wee bit of progress with Accalia.

“What do you intend to do after we eat?” he asked.

“Run with the boys as wolves, but we’ll run with you later.”

He chuckled. She was still winning the game.

Once they were done eating, they left the table, and she gathered the boys together. “We run as wolves as soon as your da can gather a guard detail.”

“Yay!” the boys shouted and raced off to their chamber.

Erik thought she was utterly amazing.

The boys didn't bother to check if he was okay with it, they just kept moving. Accalia had a natural knack for handling the boys in a way that made them adore her, even Thorfinn who could be obstinate.

Logan joined Erik before he headed outside. “The lass is a handful.”

“Tell me about it. She’s taking the boys for a run as wolves. Gather a guard force to watch them. You’ll go with them and make sure they’ll be all right. She and I will run as wolves this eve, and you can arrange a guard force for that as well.”

“Aye. You dinna want to go with all of them now?”

“We’ll do it later. I want to run with Accalia tonight without worrying about the boys.”

Logan smiled. “Aye, I’ll get right on it.”

So why did Erik wish he was with Accalia and the boys now? But he couldn’t change his mind now or he would appear indecisive—not a good look for a pack leader.

The more Accaliaplayed with Erik and saw the softer side of his personality, the more she liked him. If he had constantly told her she couldn’t do something, she would butt heads with him.

She was almost considering going to his bed tonight but had to ensure she was doing the right thing. What if she let her wild wolf half take over and decided to mate him? Aye, she was strongly attracted to him. She was fighting with herself to keep the status quo. She didn’t know him well enough yet.

She arrived at her bedchamber and hurried to remove her clothes. When she was at home, she wasn’t allowed to run as a wolf as much as she could here. She was loving this. And she knew the boys were as thrilled that she was taking them for a run.

She shifted and raced out the chamber door, then took the circular stairs to the bottom and ran until she reached the main doors to the keep. A guard hurried to open it for her. She loved seeing all the wolves in their various fur coats, mostly white. If she stayed here, she would eventually know all of them and their howls too. But for now, she was clueless.

She saw the boys chasing each other across the inner bailey. They would wear themselves out before they even went for a run. Two wolves approached her. One she recognized as Logan from his scent. Then Erik’s other brother Finlay joined them with eight men on horseback.

She had thought they would all run as wolves, but these men were ready with bows and swords in case they had to fight brigands. And Logan and the other wolf were there to help protect her and the boys as wolves, if they ran into trouble. She appreciated that Erik would let them run and would be fine with allowing some men to guard them when they probably had more important business to attend to.

She ran at the boys and nipped at them, encouraging them to run with her. Panting, they chased after her and Logan. The other wolf followed them.

But then they were in the woods running together, the men on horses riding in front of them, on their flanks, and behind them to protect them. She hoped that all the men weren’t necessary, but with Freigard trying to disrupt her da and Erik’s plans with her marriage to Erik, if it came to that, she understood the concern.

Also, the boys were young, and being with her would be a worry. But they had to stretch their legs and learn to be capable pack members too even at this age.

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